Run Ins
by RainBottom
Summary: You know what would change if Winry and Edward ran into each other by accident? Nothing much, but it sure as hell isn't the same. A/U.
1. Run In

Run-Ins

He was walking along the sidewalk, his German Shepherd in tow, reading the morning newspaper sprinkled with unnecessary information and maybe a page or two of real news. His head was bowed slightly to accommodate the position of his paper, his eyes squinting slightly every now and again to view the hard to read sections of the paper. His morning routine would always go this way; first, he would go to the nearby, quaint little café at the corner of Union street to grab his morning cup of coffee, straight black. Next, he would pad toward the kiosk that would always be parked next to the mailbox on the opposite street, and buy a roll of newspaper to check – if any that he hadn't heard of already – the news for that day. After having completed these two tasks, he would walk Zell – his dog – around the block until she was satisfied, and calmly step around the crowded section of the district, walk up the steps of his apartment building, enter, use the rickety old elevator, walk over to his door, unlock it, and amble into the mediocre apartment. Following the sequence, he would merely get ready for work, his (atrocious) military uniform hanging ominously in the wardrobe of his bedroom, his silver pocket watch left on the nightstand to the left of the structure. Afterward, he would walk to Central Headquarters, and start his day.

He was in the middle of this process, strolling around the area of Central, waiting for Zell to finish her business. He was looking over the rim of the newspaper, finding nothing interesting that caught his eye, and watched the passersby as he and Zell walked.

And he probably didn't realize the woman scampering toward him near his blind spot.

The two nearly stumbled over themselves, the man cursing quietly, his coffee having spilt all over his shirt and down some ways onto his pants, while the woman apologized profusely and incessantly, saying, "Oh, I'm so sorry!" and "here, let me get that for you!"

Apparently she carried a packet of tissues in her pocket.

–

Winry was extremely late for her meeting.

She had thought she set the alarm to 6:00 am. Upon waking, however, she hadn't heard any obnoxious beeping, or the low growling of her dog (she wondered why he hated that clock). The maroon silk drapes were closed, but the stream of morning light beamed through the slit in the middle, making Winry jolt up awake, grabbing the clock on her nightstand, her eyes bulging.

It was 8:24 in the morning.

"Shit!"

Scrambling off her oh so comfortable and warm bed, she bolted from the structure, clambering into the bathroom, and slamming the door shut (although there wasn't really anyone to invade her privacy). After having brushed her teeth for the desired three minutes, she rinsed her mouth quickly of the remaining foam, spitting the contents into the glass basin.

She yanked the mirror cabinet open, snagging what little skin care products she possessed, and slathered the creams onto her face, making sure to blend every speck of the substance without trace. After fixing herself up with very minimal make-up, she brushed through her tumbleweed of hair, and neatly braided it, while simultaneously walking back towards her bedroom.

Grabbing the set of clothes she had laid out on her leather backed chair the night before, she wasted no time in hopping into the grey pencil skirt, hastily putting on her white, ruffled collar shirt and matching grey jacket, and slipping on the nude stockings up her legs. Braiding finished and clothing somewhat put together, she swiftly padded toward her modest kitchen, grabbing a piece of bread left on the countertop, placed it in her mouth, and seized her tote and briefcase from the mahogany table adjacent to the pantry.

Checking her cases for everything she would need for the meeting, she almost forgot to leave food and water for her dog.

Sighing in relief that Den was actually in the house, she ran towards the door, grabbing her black 2-inch heels from the shoe rack on the left of the door, and settled her feet into them. Clutching her keys from the duck on the wall above the shoe rack, she yanked the door open, walked out, shut it, and locked it quickly.

–

What a predicament she was in now.

Because she was rushing down the streets of the city and looking down at her watch (which she did every thirty seconds), she failed to notice the man walking perpendicular to her own direction, and practically slammed her body into his, the steaming hot brown liquid splashing over the man whose day she probably just ruined.

"Oh my gosh, I'm s-so sorry! H-here, let me get that for you," she sputtered uselessly, the man's eyes in utter disbelief. She desperately dabbed away at the coffee, trying to wipe the substance from his clothing.

Winry heard him clearing his throat loudly and stopped her ministrations, realizing, embarrassingly, how close her hand had been to touching his crotch.

Standing up abruptly, and forgetting her lateness to an especially important conference, her petite face flushed a bright red, apologizing again for her (may have been) misinterpretation of trying to 'feel him up.'

The man chuckled awkwardly, trying to cover his actual frustrations from the woman before him, the hand that had been holding the newspaper (left forgotten on the concrete where his coffee had spilled) going behind his head, scratching nervously, "It's alright, really," his eyes twinkled slightly amusingly; the woman's eyes looked down toward the asphalt, obviously abashed at her previous actions, "I was almost done with that, anyway."

Winry looked up then, surprised at the non-scolding tone in his voice, eyes gazing into his golden ones (what a lovely shade, too), "Well, it's not like I feel any better about h-having run into you rudely, adding to the fact that I a-also had your coffee that you obviously spent at least two dollars on all over the ground… uhm, mister…?"

The man raised a brow, his hand hanging limply at his side once again, and realized after a moment what she had asked, "Elric. Edward Elric."

Winry sighed, "Mister Elric, I apologize for the mess I've caused, but i-if you'll excuse me," she glanced at her watch again, and gasped, "I-I'm extremely late for a meeting!"

Edward stared at the flustered woman, his hand automatically lifting up to grab her hand before she got away, "Wait, I didn't quite get your name."

The woman raised her face up, looking at his eyes, "My name's Winry, Winry Rockbell."

Edward paused, "…Rockbell, you say?"

Winry tilted her head to the side, "Yes, my surname is Rockbell, and?"

"Your grandmother is Pinako Rockbell, then?" He inquired, his hand going around again to scratch the back of his neck.

Winry, still confused, confirmed his question, "Yes, Pinako is my grandmother…" She examined his body (_not like that!_) slowly, realizing that his hand was still holding hers, and saw that he wore gloves, and the hard, cold sensation she felt through them almost seemed like…

She gasped, "You have automail?"

Edward clamped her mouth shut with his hands, "Don't just go announcing it to the world!"

Her eyes widened a fraction at the close proximity between her face and his, and cursed herself for not having noticed sooner; she was supposed to be her grandmother's legacy, for crying out loud! She quickly made the 'OK' sign with her fingers, and, hesitantly, Edward lifted his hand from her mouth, Winry letting out a long breath after her mouth was freed, "Sorry, I didn't realize…"

Edward's mouth twitched upward, "It's alright, I'm just… not comfortable with the attention these limbs get," he swung his right arm for emphasis.

Winry raised a brow, "Limbs?"

Edward's face contorted into a frown, "Yeah, my uh… my right arm and left leg are, uh, automail."

There was a long pause before anyone said anything. Winry contemplated asking how he had lost _two_ of his limbs, and at his age (she guessed he was around the same age as her) no less, but decided against it.

Having been standing stagnantly facing each other for a minute or two, maybe even longer, Winry asked, "So, was my grandmother your mechanic, then?"

Edward lifted his head up, nodding slowly, "Yeah, granny Pinako was my mechanic, but I haven't been able to get in touch with her recently."

Winrys dainty lips pulled downwards, her forehead forming tiny little frowning wrinkles, "Grandmother passed away around a month ago."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Edward regretted his thoughts of further imploring about his mechanic and her grandmother.

Winry shook her head firmly, "No, it's alright, she left peacefully, so there's nothing to apologize for." Her quivering hands contradicted her statement, though.

Edward still felt remorse for her loss. The silence took over again, although the bustling of the city people drowned out his mind into a pool of mush and useless thoughts, but that didn't keep him from speaking.

Edward coughed awkwardly, "Well, miss Rockbell," his face blushing marginally, "I hope to run in to you again sometime, then."

Winry smiled gently, "It's just Winry, and sure, I'd like that, maybe even check up your automail, see how it's working, right?"

Edward nodded his head slowly, his own smile forming onto his glowing face. Winry decided she'd appreciate his existence in her life.

_So worth missing half a meeting for._

–

Zell watched the strange exchange curiously, her bottom sitting on the ground, like master had taught her, and regarded the conversation with interest.

_But… can I go home now?_

* * *

A/N: So yeah, that's that. This was supposed to be a one-shot, which is why the following chapters may not seem to mix together, properly. I've decided that there is no strict timeline, so there will be some long skips of time in between different chapters, because I feel it's easier for me to handle than following a strict plan. Thanks for reading by the way! Hope you click that 'next chapter' button, because I promise, my writing gets better.


	2. Repairs

II

_Beep beep. Beep be-_

A shaky hand slaps down on the buzzer quickly, before snaking its way back under the covers.

Sapphire blue eyes flutter open slowly; the light from the open blinds cascade down onto the crumpled form underneath the mountain of blankets. A tiny yawn is heard, before the wrinkle and crinkle of the covers are thrown to the side, revealing a small body lying face down, resting on the mattress.

The room is small; a white wooden desk neatly placed below the window on the right, a black-framed bed with a headboard pushed tightly opposite to the window, and some books misplaced on the nightstand next to it.

The tired body slowly rises, her right hand coming up to wipe the fatigue from her eyes, stretching her body to accommodate herself.

_Man, I'm tired._

Her legs still wobbly, she gently places her feet on the cold, hardwood floor, and slips into the comfy slippers placed next to where her feet had landed. Walking towards the window, she stands in front of her desk, putting her head in her hand, elbow in the other, and stares out into the open sky, her tired eyes still drooping slightly.

"…Pretty."

In the quaint little house, the view into the expanse of the city is mesmerizing; the orange and pinkish tints of the rising sky fading into the city lights, still dimly lit from the night before. The small lights barely illuminated the area, the sun still coming up to its peak.

Getting up from her seat after a few minutes of admiring the wonderful view, she walks towards her dresser, placed next to the small desk, and fishes out a worn, white tee shirt and a pair of black shorts, as well as a fresh set of underwear, a pair of dark-washed jeans, and a comfy, maroon coloured sweater. After dressing herself in the shirt and shorts, she grabs a pair of socks, and a hair tie, before sauntering over to the small bathroom located a few feet from her bedroom.

After placing the underwear, jeans, and sweater on the stool facing the bathtub, she ties up her light blonde hair, grabs her toothbrush, puts on some toothpaste, and proceeds in brushing her teeth. Three minutes later, she grabs her floral designed cup, fills it with water, and rinses her mouth of the minty foam, wiping her mouth clean with a soft towelette.

After putting everything back in place, she walks out and over to her tiny kitchen, and grabs herself a chilled bottle of water from the refrigerator. Bottle in hand, she takes her sports jacket from the chair placed next to the sturdy wooden table, and walks to the small step stool in front of her apartment door. Putting on her socks and jacket, she grabs her tennis shoes, slips them on, ties the neon green strings, and grabs her keys from the hanging duck next to the door. Checking herself for anything missing, and finding she hadn't, she walks out the door, locks it, and moves towards the streets.

_Today's gonna be a _long_ day._

–

After her morning run, Winry felt extremely energized; she practically sprinted all the way back to her home a few miles away.

Waving and greeting to the regular passersby, she jogged up the steps to the familiar building and unlocked and opened the door to the house. She took another sip from her water bottle – which was nearly empty – closed her eyes, and let out a long, breathy sigh.

_I cannot believe the amount of work I need to do today. Never a moment to myself, I suppose._

Whirling around and relocking it again, she took off her shoes, placed them neatly in the shoe compartment, stripped herself from her jacket, placed it back on the kitchen chair, and sauntered off towards the bathroom. Once inside the room, Winry took off the sweaty clothes from her back, and threw them in the hamper to the left of the tub.

Turning on the valve of the bath, she let the water heat up to the right temperature, and pulled the faucet down, switching the flow of the water to the showerhead above. She gingerly stepped into the shower, the strain of her muscles taking a toll on her immediately. The warm water cascading down her back soothed the aching muscles, and she immediately relaxed.

Winry stepped out of the shower fifteen minutes later, having washed her hair and body thoroughly. She grabbed a large, fluffy white towel from the linen closet and proceeded in drying herself off, wrapping her long hair in it after having dressed in the set of clothes that still lay on the stool before her morning run. Rubbing her fingers into her toweled hair, she walked into the living room, where her work was waiting patiently.

She and Ed had met up near constantly after that awkward first encounter on Union Street a few months ago. They bumped into each other that second time (and thankfully not like the first run in) on the streets of Central, and, surprisingly to her, he recognized her face instantly, greeting her politely like any well-mannered person. They'd stopped by a café that day, seeing as they had no other work or appointment to attend to, and just sat and… talked. You know, the usual.

* * *

"Hey Winry, could I come over to yours for a few hours, something… broke."

It was 6:43 in the evening, and Edward was in a phone booth in front of Central Headquarters, with a only his part of his upper right arm; the rest of the automail lay on the floor beside him. He'd gotten into a brawl with one of the rogue alchemists he'd been assigned to track down and arrest, and although he did just that an hour ago, he'd lost his right arm in the process.

A sigh was heard on the phone, "What happened? Did you get into a nasty fight again? I told you to stop finding trouble along the streets!"

"Trouble finds me! It's not like I itch to pick a fight." Edward was irritated with the way Winry would accuse him of causing any fights between himself and another person, that person always being the reason for _all_ of the disputes (but this one was inevitable), "And besides, I was assigned this task, one thing led to another, and obviously, I end up having to battle the guy, hah."

"What are you talking about, having to fight the guy? Are you alright?" Edward had the urge to bury his head and never come out; he knew if he said something, Winry would always over exaggerate, especially over old Pinako's automail. "But anyways, since you're calling me, I'm guessing something more than just _broke_, am I right?" He swore she was psychic or something, "You never call when it's something minor, and then you hide it until someone notices. You know, that's not good for the sockets, or even the interior of the automail! Your sockets could get swollen, terribly, I might add, and the wires connecting to your nerves could tangle and malfunction easily if you don't get it checked out as soon as something bothers you!"

Ed closed his eyes briefly, anticipating the loud scolding he would get when he spoke to Winry about what state his arm was actually in, or, to be more accurate, what it _wasn't_ _in_.

"So are you gonna tell me what isn't working?"

Edward opened his eyes, let out a semi shaky breath, and spoke hesitantly, "The, uh, the entire arm is, how do I say this… not functioning?" It came out more of a question than anything.

He immediately shoved the phone away from his ear, waiting for the raised voice of Winry that would explode through the receiver.

And indeed, he heard it, "How could you misuse my granny's poor automail like that?! I swear if I see it all mangled up like last time, I will clobber you with something more painful than my wrench! You better be here in ten minutes!"

Well, that was shorter than he thought it would be.

Hanging up the device, Ed moved out of the booth, and started walking toward Winry's shop. He'd brought an Alkahestry book with him, seeing as there was really nothing to do at work except maybe a few active jobs he had to do, like the one today. He flipped to the page he had left on, and continued reading and studying the purpose and usage of the Dragon's Pulse.

The Dragon's Pulse ran through the entirety of the planet, nourishing the land and oceans like blood rushes through veins. Because the Pulse went everywhere land would follow, long distance alchemy was possible. Tapping into that power source, the Xingese had developed their alkahestry for the medical benefit, focusing on that field rather than for military usage, unlike Amestris and their own alchemy. Because the alkahestry was found a phenomenon amongst the Amestrian upper echelon, the hype for travel in Xing increased tremendously. Since Edward was a state alchemist (the youngest one, at that!), he had a rather fond admiration for the Xingese and their use of alchemy, focusing on curing and healing, rather than on destruction or conquering (although, as large as that nation was, there would be no point in expanding any further). Edward and his superior officer, General Roy Mustang, would cause banter constantly on this subject, since Ed had a somewhat personal connection to a Xingese alchemist and the Emperor. But Mustang knew his boundaries, thankfully, and limited pushing for information. Edward also knew that Mustang wouldn't use unnecessary force to influence him.

Or at least, he thought.

Ed's younger brother, Alphonse, had traveled to the vast country of Xing to learn more of this alkahestry, and had come back around two months ago, an encyclopedia of knowledge and bringing a young Xingese girl with him (to which Ed snickered and teased him incessantly about). This did, however, spark Ed's curiosity of the Eastern alchemy, and he himself had gathered the books Al had brought over from the nation across the desert, and buried his head into them whenever he was off duty from the military.

Precisely eleven minutes after he'd started walking the short trek to the shop, he'd arrived at Rockbell Automail. Edward marked his page, closed the book, and set it back in his bag. He hesitated in opening the door, but decided it'd be better to experience the clobbering and scolding now then later, when the fire was still at a simmer.

What greeted him was no surprise.

Winry stood behind the doorway, her eyes burning a furious flame, her right hand on her hip, her wrench in her left hand (which he would probably get struck with any second now). Winry stepped to the side a bit, letting Ed walk through to the readied chair waiting for him, with her following right along after closing the door again. Den barked happily at seeing Edward, and he smiled and greeted him with joy as well, before continuing into the darker area of the shop.

"Sit."

Ed complied, sitting in the old chair, the small side table set next to it, with Winry setting his torn apart automail arm onto it; a gruesome sight it was to an automail mechanic.

"Ed."

He turned his head around, which had been facing the wall, to look at Winry, his wide eyes and grimacing mouth screaming, '_Please don't hurt me, I need my head tomorrow!'_ He hesitantly answered, "Yes, m-miss… Winry?"

Winry let out a guttural sigh, her left hand coming up to rub her forehead, before coming back down to grab the ruined automail, "Are you sure you're alright? You have a massive bruise forming on your forehead."

Edward paused, surprised she hadn't hit him over the head yet, and pondered on her question for a minute, "Yeah, I'm fine, nothing to worry about."

"You're certain?"

"Yeah."

She continued to fiddle with the disfigured arm, finding it useless to do anything that would somehow save it, and said, "I'm gonna have to make you a new one, obviously. You'd better tell Mr. Mustang to give you some paperwork or something and stay away from active duty until you get your arm replaced. I'll start working on it some time today, but it should be ready in about three or four days."

Ed nodded in confirmation, still in his trance of shock of not having been yelled at like he anticipated, "You don't have to rush, although I would love to not have to paperwork for longer than necessary," he received a half-hearted glare, "and with your own shop, don't you have other customers to tend to?"

Winry stopped her ministrations, and focused her eyes on Ed's, "I'm sure they would understand, and besides, I do have an assistant that knows how to fix my automail, so there shouldn't be a problem, especially with you being in the Amestrian military… although that doesn't really account for a higher importance; the whole 'making a new arm' does though."

Ed nodded again, his eyes just as attentive to hers as hers were to his. Winry stared for a few moments afterward, and put away her tools. She breathed out her nose harshly, and grabbed the lever attached to Ed's arm, "Okay, you ready?"

"Yeah."

She gripped the lever harder, and counted down, "3, 2 –"

Winry yanked the handle downward, forcing a strangled cry to escaped Edward's mouth, his teeth gritting, eyes shut tightly. Having unattached the part-arm from its socket, Winry gingerly placed the hacked limb to the side, and waited for Ed to calm down a bit.

He opened his eyes, and looked back up toward Winry, contemplating what to say to her, but she beat him to it, "So, you want some coffee, or something?"

* * *

A/N: Hey, you guys! Thanks for the small amount feedback on the previous chapter, I really appreciate it! (: I was planning on this story to only be a one-shot, but, again, a small amount of you have requested that I continue on writing more… Since I _am_ still in school, the updates may be slow, but I will try to extend the length of this story, although I don't have a steady plot I want to follow…

We'll see how it goes, then.


	3. Saturday

III

Edward walked down the street toward his apartment. After having his arm scrapped and sharing drinks with Winry, he felt a little better than before, when he called Winry about the… let's call it an accident_._

He stepped into the old building, waving to the doorman on his way in, and sauntered over to the elevator, pressing the up button. While waiting for the elevator to trail its way down to the main floor, Ed started to ponder about his visit to Winry's shop, and her sudden change in attitude.

_Okay, I know for a fact that Winry is obsessed with automail, so why didn't she hit me over the head like I thought she would when she saw it? There _has_ to be something wrong with her, she merely blinked and then started the removal without any hassle. Even the way she was staring at me during that 'coffee' break was kind of odd, like she had a faraway… wait._

The elevator dinged before Edward could finish his thought, and he walked into the contraption after the double doors slid open, pressing the button for floor number eleven. The elevator lurched upward, before gliding along the cables, taking him to his floor. With his chin in his hand and that elbow in his other hand, Edward continued to think. He knew that Winry had changed, maybe not quite as substantially as he thought, but even slightly, and he definitely noticed. The elevator dinged again, signaling his stop. The silver doors opened again, and Ed stepped out of it, the doors closing back behind him. Facing the right, he walked over to the door labeled 11A and took his keys out, putting the silver appendage into the lock, and opened the wooden door. He turned around and shut the door, not bothering to lock it this time. Zell came rushing to greet him, while Ed affectionately patted her on the head.

Edward noticed Alphonse hadn't come back yet, which was normal, considering he was now taking up an Alchemy teaching program at Central University, and always had to take some extra time after hours to help his students if any decided they needed further guidance after his lectures. Ed draped his bag and coat over the red velvet couch, and walked toward the bathroom, hoping to take a quick shower.

He turned on the valve of the bathtub before stripping himself of his military uniform and dropping it into the stool. Ed took a look in the mirror, noticing the very visible purple bruise forming on his forehead that Winry had pointed out to him earlier. He gingerly touched it, wincing a little as he did. He'd definitely need to get ointment on it, later.

After washing himself of the sweat and grime, he dressed himself in his boxers, a pair of sweats and a black beater. Stepping into the living room while towel drying his long hair, he walked over to the telephone set on the coffee table, and dialed the General's number.

Three rings later, and a gruff, "Hello?" was heard.

"Mustang? It's Ed, and yeah, about that assignment you gave me, my automail kinda fell apart during the fight so I won't be coming in for a few days, that alright with you?"

Ed heard a light chuckle, and then, "Sure, why not? I think you deserve it, what, with you actually able to do one task right."

Edward sputtered, before he replied, "What do you mean, _one_? I've successfully completed plenty of assignments," a pause, "Okay, maybe, I didn't do, like, _four _things."

"Whatever you say, but I _do_ know of your little mechanic friend, what's her name, Winry?"

Edward didn't understand where this was going, "Yes, her name's Winry, so what? …Wait, don't tell me you've got an interest in her? You're, like, _ten_ years older than her! And you're definitely not her type."

Ed heard Mustang sigh into the phone, and then, "You are as oblivious as any person can get, and childish, might I add."

"Hey!"

"And I do not have an infatuation with miss Winry, but since you practically hang all over her, I might as well give you a little push. I've given you two a reservation Wednesday night at the restaurant over on Division street, anyway."

Edward nearly dropped the phone in shock, his mouth hanging open. If he had his right arm with him, he'd probably wave it around raggedly while shouting curses at the General, "_What?!_ What do you mean you've reserved a table for us? Winry and I are only friends; we don't need someone to reserve a table for us, _especially_ at some gaudy restaurant. She probably wouldn't even accept that request even if it came from a General, or even if she knew it was with _me_, I don't think she has any interest whatso-"

Mustang interrupted his one-sided banter, "She's already accepted it, Fullmetal, so I don't see any problem with you accepting it as well. She sounded ecstatic, actually, and grateful_._"

Edward hesitated in answering for a moment, before he realized, "Wait, so Winry knew about this already? And why didn't you ask me at HQ, you bastard General?!"

"Well, you seemed so entranced in your book, I thought I might as well not disturb you until I absolutely need you for that arrest."

So he did have half a heart, after all.

Ed let out a breath, and spoke, "You know you don't have to do this for us."

"I just said you need a little push so you can ask her out, instead of ogling her whenever I see you outside of work, shortstack."

Edward hung up the phone abruptly, his face red from the somewhat yelling, and the fact that he would have a date, with _Winry_, at a fancy restaurant, wearing fancy clothes, and eating fancy food. But, if Winry knew, was that why she had been acting strangely back then?

After assuring Zell nothing was wrong by patting her head again, since her eyes had looked worried, Edward walked to the kitchen and went to the fridge, grabbing a jug of juice. He went to the second cabinet to take a small ceramic plate and a glass cup off the shelf, and he poured a good amount of the juice into the cup. Taking a short drink from the glass, he placed the cup the counter opposite to the cabinets and fridge, followed by the plate. Ed turned back around to snatch a piece of bread, putting the corner of it in his mouth to grab the jar of jam and a knife. Placing the jam and knife onto the plate, Ed walked around the island to put the items onto the wooden table behind it. He rotated to grab his cup from the counter once his hand was free, taking another sip.

Right when he pulled a chair out for himself to sit at the table, Edward heard the door opening, and turned to greet his little brother, who walked in carrying nearly six textbooks in his arms, with his book bag over his shoulder. While Zell ran to greet the younger sibling like she did to Ed, Ed scrambled to help Alphonse with the heavy books, and he and Al walked to Al's bedroom, over to his immaculately organized desk. Ed placed the few textbooks he unloaded from Al's arms, and dropped them non-too-gently on the desk, considering his absent limb. Al let out a long sigh, and spoke, "Thanks, brother, those were starting to put a strain on my muscles, hah." Edward heard the disheartened tone, and he voiced his concerns, "Al, are you okay? You don't sound too good."

Alphonse waved off Edward's worries, stacking the books to the left corner of the table, "I'm fine, brother, just a little tired from today, that's all."

Edward didn't believe him, but he didn't try to go further into it. Al paused in his ministrations, and turned to Ed, gasping a little when he noticed the missing limb from Ed's right shoulder, "Brother! What happened to your arm? Asking me if I'm alright when clearly your automail's not even… there! And you have a _huge_ bruise on your forehead! You should put medicine on that, hold on," Al ran from his room, leaving Ed with a face of mild surprise, before he came back shortly after with the ointment tube in his hand, squeezing a little on his fingertip, and smearing it on Ed's bruise, "There. Geez, why do you never take care of yourself, especially with your position in the military? Even a bruise should get treated."

Edward flinched when the cool ointment was spread across his injury, and said, "It's not that bad, I've had far more serious injuries before, and besides, it'll heal on its own in a few days," and here he was just thinking of putting ointment on it, later.

Alphonse raised his eyebrow, "So, how in the _world_ did you lose your arm? Is that why you have a bruise on your forehead? How have you gotten away with only a contusion when your automail's been decimated?" Al saw the way Edward's brows creased downward. He always worried for his older brother; being in the military and having impulsive actions didn't really make Al feel any easier. He decided to change the subject, seeing as Ed wouldn't answer his questions anytime soon, "I guess you went to Winry for your fix?"

Edward's eyes seemed to brighten at the mention of the blonde mechanic, and he answered, "Yeah, of course I did. It's not like Pinako could come up from the dead to remove the rest of the arm from the socket. And besides, if her legacy was breathing and living, there shouldn't be a reason for me to hire a mechanic whose background I know nothing of."

Alphonse noticed Edward stretched his reply unnecessarily, "Well, I'm glad you're okay, brother. Maybe you should get a cold compress on your forehead anyways, considering the size of the bruise."

"Thanks, Al, I'll do that, " a pause, "do you have anything to do, Wednesday night?"

Alphonse looked up to his brother's eyes, and replied, "Actually, nothing really, I'll probably stay back in the library most of my off hours, why?"

"Nah, nevermind, just wondering." Edward had contemplated whether or not to tell Al of his _date_ with Winry on that inquired night, but he'd rather save himself from the imminent teasing he knew would come spewing from his little brother's mouth if that were to occur.

Al didn't ask anything else regarding Wednesday night, "Okay, then, what's for dinner?"

§

Winry sighed as she put away her tools.

Ed had come by to fix… _replace_ his arm because it had been hacked off in a fight. She'd been slightly surprised to find him calling her for a 'repair,' and even more so when she saw his ruffed and mussed state when he arrived at her shop entrance.

Previously, Winry had been cleaning the expanse of the room, dusting and wiping down the oil and grime that had accumulated the past week. She hadn't had any time to clean during the weekdays, considering the massive amount of customers she and her assistant, Cain, had, to maintain _their_ automail. Cain had gone home early, Winry dismissing him abruptly when he asked if she was sure she didn't need help cleaning the shop. She had replied with a smile a reassuring nod, before Cain had left hesitantly.

Approximately an hour or so later, she heard the phone ringing. She dropped the mop she was washing the floor with, and strode over the telephone, grabbing the black receiver, and greeting the person on the other line. It was Ed, and he seemed reluctant to speak much.

And so he came after the miniscule scolding Winry had given him, and when she had finished with Ed's automail removal, she had offered him to a cup of coffee, to which he gently declined, saying that coffee at five in the afternoon wouldn't have been the brightest idea in the world. She had mumbled to herself about she being an oblivious idiot, before asking if he wanted, instead, water. He accepted a glass, and she poured herself a glass of milk, to which she had laughed quietly at when she saw that Edward had stared at it like it was an overgrown spider.

They had chatted for a bit when they took the stairs up to the resting area of the building. They had taken a seat at the table and talked about Alphonse's recent endeavor at the University, and his trip to Xing, which, had taken up most of the time they had conversed.

Winry was ecstatic about the Wednesday night dinner that the generous General Mustang had given to them. She had tried refusing, saying that she would be much too nervous for the event, or that it was absolutely unnecessary for the General to make such a considerate offer. Mustang had not relented, however, and Winry had no choice but to accept. She and the General had met a couple of times, usually with Edward's presence. She found Roy Mustang to be a kind man, and she had instantly taken a liking to Ed's superior officer. When she had hung up on the General after accepting the reservation at the Jade restaurant, Winry had squealed uncharacteristically and put her hand to her face.

So when Ed had come to her shop, she didn't have the nerve to smash his head in, despite the shattered and mangled automail limb that he held in his left arm. After removing the remaining part of the arm and going up the resting area, she had stared at him longingly, which she hoped he hadn't noticed.

Taking her toolbox to the workbench, Winry walked back to the neglected mop and restarted her cleaning regime. She washed the floors cleanly, and took a wet rag to continue wiping down the tables again, making sure to clean every speck of dirt, oil, and grime from the wood.

After having cleaned the area immaculately, she dropped the rag and mop back into the corner of the shop, and proceeded to wipe the small beads of sweat from her brow. She stretched widely, and a small yawn escaped her mouth. Tomorrow, with Cain by her side, she would have to present her latest automail design to the head of the industry, but she really did _not_ want to have to go through that again, considering how the pompous bastards had not one sliver of an idea of automail (and she wondered how they even got to the top like that). Even if they didn't approve, Winry was extremely prideful and knowing of her work, because she never had one complaint out of the plethora of customers she served. Ignorance of the "higher-ups" was always how she handled things.

_Now, what dress should I wear for Wednesday?_


	4. A Park and a Smile

A/N: I'm drawing a blank on this story, but here's a (very) short chapter for you! I'll try to make this fic more entertaining…

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IV

"Wow, that was delicious!"

"It was, but I can't help but wonder if your stomach is a bottomless pit, considering the amount of food you ordered and ate clean," and then she smacked him on the arm.

"Hey!"

Edward rubbed the left limb that Winry had hit, his handsome face turning down into a playful scowl. Winry scoffed lightly at his childish attitude, "Maybe if you tried ordering less, you wouldn't have me scolding you for it."

Ed turned his head to his left toward Winry; her face was glowing, cheeks flushed a healthy pink from the biting wind. Her hair was put up in a high bun, some blonde strands framing her small face. Her blue eyes were shining in mirth, her laughing smile lighting up her already beautiful face.

Winry was slightly confused when he gently smiled back at her, and then she thought that maybe he just hadn't heard her. She started scrutinizing Ed's handsome features; his angular jaw, his thin, darker-than-pink lips, the way the lights from the streetlamps seemed to make his golden hair glow even more than it was. And his eyes, the shade of amber that one did not just forget after even a single glance. She loved his eyes. She let her own eyes wander down onto the broad shoulders that framed his small stature, and lower onto his chest, which the crisp white dress shirt covered. Winry quickly looked back ahead of her, feeling her cheeks heat up.

Edward apparently hadn't realized that Winry was blatantly staring at his body, so the two walked in the dim lights, chatting and joking around.

The sky was clear of darkened clouds, but the dim streetlights blocked out the starlight. It was a deep navy blue colour, shooting over to a mauve gradation, and then a light purple colour that faded into the horizon. There were some stray cats mewling in the alleyways, pawing at the food left in the trash. One of the streetlamps flickered continuously, pausing the radiation of light for a moment, before coming to life again in a cycle. Some of the neighbours' homes had lights draping the sidewalk from within the buildings, the boundaries of the walls creating a looming shadow over the roads.

Once the couple had reached Winry's residence, they walked up to the porch, and Winry invited him in, saying that it was alright for him to stay some. Edward obliged, stepping into Winry's humble abode and closing the door quietly behind him. They took off their shoes and placed them onto the shoe rack, before Ed walked toward the couch while Winry went over to the kitchen.

"Where's Den?"

"I left him with a friend, I didn't want him to feel alone all day," Winry called back to Ed, "Do you want anything to drink?"

"Just some water, thanks."

Although Edward had only visited Winry's home once or twice since they had met, he couldn't help but feel at home when he thought of it. His own apartment that he shared with his little brother wasn't the greatest living space, but with so many people living in Central, it was hard to find an empty house waiting to be filled. The apartment had kind people living in it, but he couldn't get the feeling of real comfort from the place. Winry's house was decently sized, and the décor and the colour of the walls that surrounded them both made him feel at ease. Winry came back carrying a glass of water and a hot mug of tea. She handed the glass to Ed, who then took a small sip. Winry sat next to him on the couch, setting her tea on the coffee table and tucking her feet under her bottom. They sat for a few silent moments, save for the sound of someone drinking from their cup. Ed spoke, "So, how'd… how'd you like tonight?"

Winry seemed startled from his sudden inquiry, almost burning herself with her scorching hot beverage. Her eyes went slightly wider than necessary, but then she swallowed, and replied, "It was," she paused to think of the right word, but the only one she could think of and that stuck to her mind was, "nice."

Winry scolded herself mentally for using such a basic word to describe the fun she had had with Ed at the restaurant and during the walk back to her house. But she couldn't describe the pure joy she had experienced during the whole night without spewing out and belaboring continuously.

Ed seemed fine with her answer, nodding with her, "I thought it was nice, too."

They both had the urge to sigh obnoxiously loudly, wanting to break the awkward tension of having just sat on the couch for over ten minutes without a word from the other person.

Winry spoke first, and with a smile, asked, "So, is there anything you have to do tomorrow at work that'll make you wreck your automail again?"

Ed felt like laughing, but bit back his tongue before a guffaw could circumvent through his mouth, and replied, "No, not that I know of… unless there's some spontaneous assignment I have to take care of, like what happened on Saturday, then I… _may_ have to visit you afterwards," Ed looked to his right toward Winry's downturned face, her cup of tea still in her hands.

Winry bobbed her head, her grin expressing her jubilant mood, "Right, okay, so long as I don't a single scratch on any of your limbs. And, when does Al's teaching program end?"

Ed furrowed his brows, before thinking. Alphonse would have been teaching for almost a two months now, but the elder Elric didn't know when exactly his own younger brother would have his job expire, "You know what, I hadn't even asked him," he checked his watch, realizing that this was around the time Al got back from work, "if you want to know now, I can call him and see."

Winry blinked her eyes once, twice, before shaking her head, "No, it's alright, he's probably tired and wants to sleep early, I can sympathize with that." Winry looked back down to the copper-coloured liquid in her cup, watching the steam rise into waves of ribbons. She placed the cup back onto the coffee table, and stretched her arms out.

"Hey, you wanna go to the park?"

Edward stared ahead, and then shifted his gaze to Winry's expressive face, tilting his head at her question, "But it's nearly ten, why would you want to go to the park?"

She merely smiled happily at him, "Maybe I just want to. C'mon, I know you're not scared of the dark, and besides, if any troublemakers are lurking around, you'll… shoo them away!"

Ed scoffed at that, crossing his arms, but accepting her request, "Fine, I'll go, but if there really are some of those punks, I won't hesitate to give them each a punch or two."

"Well, don't do _that_."

§

Edward Elric and Winry Rockbell were sitting on a set of swings.

Winry's feet dangled above the ground somewhat, swinging back and forth lightly. Her hands gripped the chains loosely, smiling and laughing at what Ed had said.

Edward had his feet planted on the ground, his hands clasped together on his knees while he bent forward. He really like making Winry laugh, it made him feel like a bubble just popped within his chest and spread a sensation of warmth and joy through his being.

And it was apparent that no troublemakers had disturbed the couple.

Ed stared at the woman before him; her eyes were shut tight, a tight lipped smile on her laugh to suppress her laughter, tears forming at the corner of her eyes. She had opted to change into more comfortable clothing, choosing to sport a loose t-shirt and a pair of black shorts. Since Edward obviously had no clothing available on his person, he walked the trek to the park in the stiff suit he had worn to the dinner only a few hours before. It was now ten forty-three at night, and the streetlights were still lit up. He contemplated short-circuiting the wires underground to rid the streets of the artificial light, and have that replaced by the bright shine of the stars. He decided against that.

Edward didn't even remember what he'd said for Winry to laugh so beautifully like that, but he honestly didn't care one bit. As long as she was happy, he was satisfied.

Winry calmed from her quiet snickering, her heart pumping blood at a much faster rate than normal, and her cheeks felt warm despite the slight wind brushing through her hair.

"I haven't laughed like that since Al told me of your, once upon a time, over exaggerated reactions of your former short stature!"

Now that last part had Ed scowling inside, "Hey, at least I'm taller than the average Amestrian now. I'm five foot nine, five foot _nine_!" But Ed smiled outwardly nonetheless, pleased that even she was having fun making fun of his once short form.

Not that he actually _liked_ the teasing, though.

Winry smiled, "Yes, you are definitely taller than the average citizen, but I'm pretty sure Alphonse is taller by a good two inches."

"Fine, compare me to my little brother, why don't you."

"Gladly!"

_This will definitely be entertaining._


	5. Dinner and Suspicion

A/N: Poof! Here's another chapter… I'm not sure if this one makes any sense, but I couldn't not write this if it came up in my head. And reviews make me happy, even if it's critical, I'll accept any commentary on this fic so I can improve or so I know I'm doing this thing right.

Anyways, enjoy?

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V

"Edward! What is this mess?"

Edward cringed slightly when he entered the apartment. Alphonse, calm and collected Alphonse, was standing in the middle of the sitting area, his expression of disappointment and irritation. Ed sighed loudly, scratching the back of his head. He shifted his gaze from his angered younger brother to the clutter that filled the apartment.

There were several Alchemy and Alkahestry books opened and strewn across the carpeted floor, while a half-eaten sandwich lay on the coffee table. There was a plethora papers tossed around the room, either having been crumpled together or just plain being there, flapping about due to the opened window. A coffee mug was placed on one of the papers, the liquid inside having been drunk already. A pen was left on an Alchemy volume, notes written over the text.

Basically, it looked like a flock of birds had decided to visit.

Al suppressed a groan when Ed offered no explanation and simply walked up to his older brother, hoping his eyes would make Ed submit. Ed stared back blankly, however, eyebrows drawn together, but a moment later, he released a breath, shaking his head, and walked around Alphonse, bending down to collect the papers together. He could feel Al's eyes piercing through his back.

"Brother! Don't just ignore me, answer the question!"

Ed turned his head back to Al, narrowing his eyes, "You sound like a nagging housewife, Al."

Alphonse reddened at that, but decided to silence himself.

Ed went back to cleaning the floor, closing the books and collecting them, bringing them over to the low table. He grabbed the plate that held the sandwich, and moved it to the kitchen counter, before remembering to grab the cup, too. Ed tidied the place up while Al went to close the door that was left ajar, and locked it. Al then went to help Ed with the plate and cup, dumping the sandwich into the trash. He moved to the kitchen sink and placed the items in the basin, grabbing the sponge and lathering it with soap. He proceeded to wash the dishes, and heard Ed groan in frustration.

"To answer your question, Al, I was just researching a little more. I ran out the door because the General needed me for something urgent, and he sounded winded, so I had to go in a rush. I was going to clean up later."

Alphonse closed his eyes briefly, placing the cup into the drain along with the plate. He wiped his hands with the kitchen towel, and walked over to Edward, who was seated on the couch, his arms on his knees. Al sat down next to his brother. He claps his hand on his brother's shoulder, and speaks, "Brother, I'm sorry I yelled at you, but you shouldn't look all sulky because I did."

Edward raised his head to look at Alphonse, "Yeah, like I said, I was in a rush, so I wasn't able to clean up the area. But I'm sorry you had to worry like that, Al""

"What happened?"

Ed didn't want to talk about the previous event that had occurred earlier, since he was just tired, but he decided Al wouldn't stop asking until he got his answer, and so he replied to his inquiry, "Well, it turns out there's a mass murderer in the area, and the General, Captain Hawkeye, and a few other policemen were in the midst of cornering him, but some of his allies came barging into the masses and the military couldn't stop them. The General and Captain gave chase, and apparently there was a phone booth nearby, so Mustang called me asking for help. And you know me, can never say no to some action."

Al nodded, somewhat satisfied with the story, but Ed carried on, "I sprinted out of the apartment, and Mustang told me to start running toward the alleyway between Corner and Ophelia. I bumped into someone half a kilometer from the intersection, and I heard the Captain shouting my name. I barely had time to dodge the oncoming blow to my head. It was a woman. She had this awful head of mussed up red hair, wearing some dull coloured garbs. I heard a gun shooting, so I hurried to attack the woman, and I transmuted a spear from the ground. One thing led to another, and four hours later, we finally caught the criminal and her band of wannabe gangsters. Bastard General didn't even say thanks, jeez."

Al waited for Ed to finish, "But, one thing she said irked me," this time, Al looked at Edward's face, contorted into a small frown, still, "she knew who Winry was. I don't now how this is connected, but she said that… that Winry was their 'hostage', until they got what they wanted. I don't know what some mass murderers would want a hostage for, or why they would want anything than a dead person to appease them, but I don't take things like this lightly, especially when it comes to Winry."

Al was staring blankly at the brick red carpet below, now, nodding every so often to make sure Ed knew he was listening. After his brother finally stopped his talking, Alphonse sighed heavily, "All that was happening, and I didn't even notice while walking back from the University, ha. But you should talk to Winry about this... Say, brother, do _you_ know that woman?"

"Yeah, I will… And no, I've never seen her before in my life, which is why the 'Winry hostage' statement had me confused. Hey, how about you join Winry and me for dinner tonight? It's at her place, so there's no reason to opt out. What do you say?"

Al nodded, smiling slightly, "Sure."

§

"Winry! We're here!"

Winry looked up from the leg she was working on fixing, seeing the Elric brothers walk into her shop. She waved at them in greeting and went back to the automail.

"It might be a while, I just have to get this kink in the plating to fit. Why don't take a seat upstairs and wait for me there, it won't take more than five minutes."

Edward and Alphonse decided to stay on the ground floor, walking around Winry's bench to sit at another table, watching the young Rockbell switch from using her tweezers to her spanner. They could hear the clangs of metal upon metal, and a soft sigh from Winry, before they saw her bring her hand up to wipe the sweat forming on her brow (probably from the hours she'd been in the stuffy shop), and put her tools away. She stood up from her seat and stretched her arms up, bending her back slightly, too.

"Well, I'm done. Let me just put this away and clean up, and then we'll be ready to go."

Winry walked up the stairs to the resting area, tiredly trudging up the steps to get to the closet pressed against the wall, and grabbed out a t-shirt and some jeans, before walking back downstairs to the private bathroom at the far end of the small building. She wiped her face and arms from the grime and sweat that had accumulated throughout the long day, and proceeded in changing her clothes.

It wasn't two minutes later that Winry opened the door again and stepped out, carrying the her work attire, in the form of baggy overalls and her gloves, and grabbed her bag, putting the clothes into it. Ed and Al stood, walking with Winry out the glass doors leading outside. Winry turned around and locked them, swinging the set of keys on her index finger and whistling, while Ed and Al smiled at her. The three started their walk toward Winry's house, while she started small talk on the brothers' day.

When they got to Winry's house, the sound of barking was their welcome, and then Den came running out, putting his weight on Winry while she laughed happily, ruffling his fur. Den ran over and around to Ed and Al, and barked again, while they smiled in return, saying hi to him. When they got into the house, Winry walked to the kitchen, and pulled out the dishes she had pre-made, putting them into the oven and onto the stove to reheat.

Edward and Alphonse sat down on the couch, knowing it would be a little while before the food was ready to be served. Winry bounced off to the back of the house, dumping her overalls and gloves in the backyard where she washed her clothes, and ran back into the living room, jumping on the unsuspecting brothers.

Edward sputtered while Al laughed.

"You know, I've not even known you for a year, and yet you've crawled right up into my heart and become like family to me. Thank you."

Winry looked up at the golden eyes of the brothers Elric. They shined brightly, but while Alphonse laughed again and showed his own gratitude at having met her, Ed shifted his gaze away from her, a pink blush forming on his cheeks. Winry inwardly grinned, and continued to smile brightly at them.

Edward cleared his throat, "So, you gonna get off of us, or what?"

Winry narrowed his eyes at him, but crawled off of them nonetheless, seating her bottom on the one-seat armchair next to the sofa. Winry suddenly shot up fifteen seconds later, "Crap, I forgot to call Riza!"

Edward and Alphonse looked at Winry, then at each other, then back to Winry, eyes gazing curiously at her. Edward asked, "How do you know the Captain?"

Winry, while walking to the telephone mounted on the wall, replied, "Well, you remember a few months ago when Roy came by to check on me after my accident on the machines? Riza came with him the second time he visited. We talked a lot most of the time they came that day. I guess we bonded really easily, and I can now say she's one of my closest friends."

"Oh. That's good, but why do you need to call her, the way you made it sound…?"

"… It's nothing."

A half hour later, the ding of the oven signaled the start of dinner. Winry had finished her conversation with Riza in a hushed manner, although the entire time they talked, it was in a quiet mood.

Winry immediately went to the stove and oven, with Alphonse and Ed in tow. The brothers went to setting up the table and grabbing the beverages while Winry took out the dishes from the two contraptions, setting them on the counter for Ed or Al to take to the table. The smell of lasagna and soup filled the room. Winry took out the potato salad from the fridge and placed it on the readied table. She then went to one cupboard to take out the food for Den, and placed it on a dish for him on the floor. The three then all took a seat in their spots, and dug in.

Winry's cooking was sublime. They finished the dishes to the last speck, and they all sighed in satisfaction of having filled their empty stomachs.

"Hey, Winry, could I talk to you for a sec?"

In the midst of her cleaning up, she hadn't notices Edward standing behind her. She turned around from the sink, and looked up at him, "Sure, let me just finish cleaning the dishes, and I'll talk to you in my room, okay?"

Edward nodded, and then went back to the living area, and talked with Alphonse about his job at the University, or the things he had discovered while researching on alkahestry in Xing and their ties to Amestrian alchemy.

Winry went back to washing each utensil, plate, and bowl, scrubbing the surfaces squeaky clean. She rinsed the dishes of their foam, and set them neatly in the drying bin to her left. Wiping off her hands on her pants, she called out to Ed that she could talk now. She saw Alphonse nod at his brother firmly, before Ed stood and walked off to Winry's room. She followed him, and closed the door behind her. Edward immediately bombarded her with questions, "Winry, did you see anyone following you when you went to your shop today? Anyone suspicious? Do you know a Cretan woman with red hair?"

Winry blinked at him, once, twice, before answering, "Not that I know of, Ed, I don't really pay attention to my surroundings when I'm working with patients. And besides, I didn't feel like I was being followed."

Edward let out a breath in relief, "Okay, good, good."

"But, why? I don't know any Cretan women either. There's nothing happening at HQ, is there?"

She was too smart to catch on, "No, it's nothing, nevermind. Just something that woman said frustrated me."

Winry knew Ed was hiding something from her, but she couldn't get the words out.

* * *

Another A/N: By the way, I might just neglect this "hostage-criminal-situation" thingy and continue the normal timeline, but if you want, I could just change this to a dramatic type story...


	6. Automail

A/N: How long has it been, a month?! Ahh, sorry about that, I'd just been drained of any inspiration or ideas that might've worked with this story. But I did it! Hope you like this little snippet!

And another thing, reviews motivate me, so if something is bothering you or you like this fic, please do say so! Thanks for everyone who's been reading so far!

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VI

"Easy, now."

Edward retched some more into the open toilet, a string of saliva hanging from his upper lip. An awful storm was currently passing by above Central, and the rain made Ed's automail a quake, made his stomach churn violently. He hugged the rim of the toilet, sensing another bout of vomit surfacing into his mouth.

Alphonse was behind Ed, rubbing his back soothingly, although he knew it did no good. He had always liked the rain, the calming rhythm of the drops pitter-pattering on the sidewalks. Since Ed's phantom pains came whenever the ominous clouds came by to shower the city in water, obviously, Al came to loathe it. It brought pain to his older brother, why would he like this weather, anymore?

The rain stopped.

It seemed Ed was done retching in the toilet, as his hand came up to wipe the sheen of sweat that had formed along his forehead. Al heard a heavy sigh, before he saw Ed's head come up. Al was there to steady his brother when Ed stood up and flushed the toilet. Ed waved Al off, saying he was feeling a lot better now that the initial rain had passed over. So the younger Elric left the bathroom, shutting the door as he went.

A knock sounded by the entrance, and Zell went rushing toward it, barking excitedly and jumping at the door. Alphonse went straight there, opening it to find Winry behind it, carrying a box of, what seemed like, food. She held a bright yellow umbrella in one hand, and her rain boots were still soaked.

"Hi."

Winry smiled solemnly, knowing Ed was probably cooped up somewhere in the apartment. She brought the hand she carried her box in, up, and replied, "I brought soup."

Alphonse smiled then, and let her in, Winry walking inside and petting Zell on the head after taking off her boots by the door and setting the umbrella by the frame. Alphonse told her to set her package on the dining table, and then they both went into the sitting area, both taking a seat on the couch next to each other. The door to the bathroom clicked open, and Al and Winry both snapped their heads in that direction, seeing Edward walk out tiredly, his left arm bracing the door steadily. Alphonse and Winry immediately shot up, although they'd only been sitting for a few seconds. They watched Ed trudge toward his bedroom, and heard him plop down onto his bed. Winry looked at Al, while he looked back at her, nodding to affirm her unvoiced question.

Winry moved around the couch to walk to the bathroom, finding it immaculately clean, considering what had happened in it previously. She then walked to Ed's bedroom, door left ajar, and cautiously walked in, finding Ed on his back with an arm over his eyes, the other over his stomach. He didn't seem asleep, so Winry went to sit on the edge of the mattress, hovering over Ed like a parent would her sick child.

Ed removed his arm to look up at the face of Winry. He seemed startled, but he relaxed his tense shoulders again, bringing his arm back down. He said his greetings, to which Winry replied. She asked if he was all right; if he was still feeling nauseous or still had a bout of vertigo, but he denied them. Winry didn't believe him. Alphonse came into the room, then, holding a thermometer in his hand. He handed it to Winry, to which she thanked for, and stuck it in Ed's mouth. Ed sputtered momentarily, before closing his mouth obediently. A minute later, Winry removed the thermometer, she and Al sighing in relief that Ed did not have a fever like they all expected him to have. Zell came padding in, putting her front paws onto Ed's bed, whimpering and nudging his Ed's palm with her head. Ed lifted the corner of his mouth and ruffled her head to show that he was doing fine, and Zell looked up to Alphonse as if she didn't believe the elder Elric. Alphonse smiled brightly at Zell in return, but it seemed that wasn't enough for her as she brought down her paws and lay on her belly beside Ed's bed.

"I brought some soup for you."

"… What kind?"

"What do you think?"

Ed looked back up to Winry, and smiled, thankful, "Thanks, Win, you're the best."

Winry nodded, happy he could at least talk intelligibly, "You should rest up anyhow, and wait 'til the storm passes, okay?"

Edward nodded, and his breathing steadied after a minute or two. Alphonse got a blanket and put it over his brother, before he and Winry walked back out into the sitting room, nearly stepping on Zell's tail along the way.

Since the rain had stopped, Alphonse went to open a window. Winry went to sit on the couch once again, hearing the light snores coming from Ed in his bed. Once Alphonse came back onto the sofa, Winry couldn't keep her mouth closed anymore.

"Al?"

"Yes, Winry?"

"… H-how did Edward get hi–… his automail?"

Her voice trembled, and she realized she wasn't as ready to hear it as she thought she was. Alphonse was silent for a moment, whether it be out of shock that she'd asked or if he was contemplating whether or not he should tell her, she didn't know. It was five minutes before he opened his mouth, "I… wasn't there."

Winry snapped her head open, hearing Alphonse's words. She didn't understand, but did not urge him to continue if he felt like he couldn't.

He did anyway, "It was a while ago, and our mother had already passed away by then. Our father had taken us to Resembool for a time, and we'd loved it there. It was a complete change in scenery for us city boys. The smog was gone, there were a whole lot less people roaming the streets, either for work or just a regular outing. It was less noisy, there were no large buildings cramped together. It was just grassy hills, farms, and a few buildings that dotted the area. It was… refreshing. We'd go by the small lake by the elementary school, you remember where that is?"

Winry nodded, and Al continued, "We'd always go down there to cool off from the blistering heat. And, and we'd go by the train station to show off our alchemy to the few passersby. It was fun, seeing the astonished faces of the people. They looked surprised, and happy, I think. We'd transmuted carnival horses, and large bears, and other animals out of the ground beneath us, although the employees didn't look so ecstatic about that."

This caused Winry to smile, but it quickly faded, because she knew Alphonse would talk about Ed's accident soon.

"It was a Wednesday, October first, it was showering, and we'd gone to the train station again. It was like usual… we'd create our animal pieces for the Resembool people to enjoy, and we'd laugh and lift our chests in pride. But, father had called me back for… I don't even remember what it was, but all I know is that if I hadn't left, brother wouldn't have gotten his limbs taken away."

Winry could feel the start of tears making it's way to her eyes as Al proceeded with his retelling, "My recollection is not nearly enough to express what Ed had gone through, but I could hear a myriad of screams after father walked me back to the station. We'd both immediately sprinted toward the site, although, I think we both thought that Edward wasn't the one that was… hurt.

"As we got closer, the screams we heard started to sound more panicked, more frightened… it was like a cheap horror film. We'd managed to push back the people to catch a glimpse of whatever had happened, and what I saw… what we both saw made me want to gag, and I almost did. Tears had immediately sprung out of my eyes, and I practically flew across the remaining people to get to the tracks.

"Brother was there, his right arm, just, ripped off. The train had come and gone, and all that was left was a bloody pool surrounding his small form. Father had come by our sides, and since he'd learned of alkahestry a ways back, he tried to mend the broken flesh to stop the bleeding, and it worked. The screams and panicked cries had died down by then, and I could feel every one of the bystanders' eyes boring into the backs of us. There was a long, bloodied gash on Ed's left leg, dirt covering the gruesome sight. But since brother had already lost a tremendous amount of blood, father decided to carry him to the hospital. I had heard someone call out that he'd called an ambulance as soon as the accident had happened, and I heard the ringing sirens blasting through the once quieted atmosphere. Everyone parted for the gurney and rushing nurses. Their shouts had brought our ears to attention, and father immediately brought brother up in his arms and dashed toward the medical officers. He laid brother down gently on the gurney, and it was a miracle that he was still awake and conscious, because he tugged on father's sleeve and whined, 'it hurts, it hurts.'

"Father went into the back with Edward, and I caught a ride with one of the employees to the hospital, the one who had called emergency. When we got there, I opened the door in a hurry, and didn't even bother thanking the man who had driven me. The ambulance and we had arrived at the same time, and when I had gotten out, they were wheeling brother out and into the hospital. Father was following the hurrying medics, and I ran to them, clutching onto father's shirt. He didn't look down at me, and I knew that my brother was in grave danger of… dying."

Winry's tears tracked down the sides of her face, and she had taken a cushion from the pillow to quiet herself. What she was hearing, what she was imagining in her head, had been far worse than what she prepared herself to listen to. Alphonse noticed Winry's crying tears, and he leaned forward to grab the tissue box from the coffee table for her. She accepted it, taking a few tissues from it, and blew her nose. She took another to wipe at her eyes, but the tears wouldn't relent. Alphonse looked at Winry with sad, hollowed eyes. He hadn't wanted her to hear this, but he knew that if he denied, she would go to Edward, and if he wasn't ready, she would trudge home in worry to her bedroom and conjure up some unimaginable things in her head. He didn't want all of that to happen, it would complicate things. They'd have to tell her eventually.

Once Winry had calmed a little more, Alphonse continued, "We'd waited a few hours outside the operation room, and we'd both let out a breath as the surgeon came out. His hands were shaky, and I instantly thought something had gone terribly wrong. But the doctor said that brother was somewhat stable, that it was incredible that he'd survived such a tragedy. Father had asked innumerous questions about Ed, if the socket was uninfected, if the gash on his leg was taken care of, anything. But then, the doctor's face pulled into an even deeper frown.

"He'd said that… that brother wouldn't be awake for at least a week. He'd lost too much blood, and he'd needed a blood transfusion. We thought, hey, it's a miracle! Father had let out a breath again, of relief, most likely. After brother was rolled into his room, we'd walked in quietly, shut the door, and just stared. His right arm was completely… gone. It was gone, and it was m-my fault tha– that he…"

Winry wrapped an arm around Alphonse's slightly quivering frame, hoping to emit some sort of comfort into his being. Al's face was contorted in a somber expression, hands pressed to his face with his back hunched forward so his elbows rested on his knees.

He continued, "It was not even three days later that brother had woken up. We weren't there at the time, but from what I remember, one of the nurses had come to check on his progress, and he just shot up, out of nowhere, and looked around with tired eyes. That nurse had quickly went to his bedside to check his pupils, and then went to get the doctor.

"That was when father and I had come in, and we'd been panting by the time we got there when we heard the news. The first thing I saw was brother sitting up in the bed, like he hadn't just been unconscious for three days, and he smiled at me. I'd run to him, arms wide and eyes crying, and I hugged him like I'd thought I'd never see his smiling face again. And father, he smiled, too.

"Another few days later, we were ready to get Edward out of the hospital. But a few hours before he was scheduled to be discharged, brother complained about the large bruise-like… thing that was forming on his left shin. I wasn't worried, but since father had some sort of a medical background, he'd been concerned about the inner bleeding. The doctor came in again for one last check-up, and Ed pointed out the large bruise on his shin. The doctor had scrutinized the contusion carefully, and he shot up, instantly realizing what it was that brother had. It was flesh-eating disease, a disease that is incurable… except by amputation. The doctor had demanded that we agree to get brother's leg removed before it spread to his organs, and father had urgently agreed. Brother hadn't reacted, just sat there in… shock.

"Brother had gone again to the emergency, and into the operating room to get his leg amputated. And again, we'd waited a few hours for the surgeon. As you can tell, the surgery was a success, but now, brother only had one arm and one leg to work with.

"The doctor suggested automail, and father had contemplated for the shortest time before he said yes, yes that Edward should get automail so he could have range of all his limbs, whether they be artificial or not, make brother's life easier. And that was when granny Pinako, your grandmother, had been called into the hospital for such a young patient."

Winry sensed his story was over as Al kept staring at the ground beneath them. Alphonse was still hunched over, but his hands were clasped together with his elbows supporting his weight on his knees. Winry still had her arms wound around Al's back, her cheek resting on his shoulder. Winry let out a long, dragged out breath.

She did _not_ imagine this incredible misfortune that had befallen Edward's childhood. It was absolutely horrible. She tightened her grip on Al's shoulders, wanting, herself, a little amenity to ease herself from the dreadful memory that Alphonse had narrated to her. She lifted her head to kiss his cheek.

She hoped this was the only hardship the Elric brothers, especially _Ed_, would ever have to endure.


	7. Another Morning, Another Day

VII

Winry Rockbell opened her eyes to a dark room. Blinking several times, she closed her eyes once again, assuming it was still much too early for her to get up from bed. She shifted onto her left, right arm coming up to cradle her head. She sighed contentedly with the new position and the grace of having a few more hours of sleep. However, as she was ready to drift back into sleep, she felt a light movement behind her, on the other side of the bed. Thinking it was just Den, she went around to lay on her right, bringing her hand up to pet him. When her hand landed on a body, she felt the covers instead, and not the soft fur of her dog, like she thought she would come in contact with. Opening her eyes abruptly, paused in her movements, she was now able to hear the light snoring that came from the body in bed with her. Her hand went up to feel the chilled sensation of an automail arm, the shoulder plating, and then silky hair along the back. She let out a relieved breath, and smiled to herself.

_Right, Ed._

Curling her fingers around Ed's hair, Winry brushed through them. It felt so smooth and soft, and she didn't want to stop running her fingers through it. She drew her hand away when Edward turned around to face her, still fast asleep. Winry went back down to lie on her side. Now that she had time for her eyes to adjust to the darkness, she could faintly see the outline of Ed's face, calm and at ease, like a child's. She giggled slightly at that, happy that she could witness Ed's sleeping face, when his guard was completely down. She continued watching him as he took small breaths of air into his lungs, and breathed out into a light snore. She noticed a few strands of hair fell into his face, and she reached out to place it behind his ear, not realizing that the rhythm in Ed's breathing had changed. Bringing her hand down, she went under the covers to find Ed's hand, and when she did, she grabbed it and squeezed tightly, keeping it in hers as her eyelids grew heavy, and finally closed, surrendering to her fatigue.

Ed had awoken right before Winry fell back to sleep.

He'd at once realized that he was in Winry's room, sleeping in her bed, with _her_ in it. He remembered what had transpired the night before, and he couldn't help but grin in remembrance. Once he knew Winry was fast asleep, he cradled her head in his right arm, placing his left over her waist, gently bringing her closer to him. He felt Winry stir against him lightly, and then bury her face into his chest. He would have blushed had he not been so damn tired to realize.

It had been a day like any other, him walking Zell, getting coffee and a newspaper, while Winry, she would be opening her windows to let in the air and sunlight in her home, and trot down to her shop once she fed Den and brought her tools with her. The afternoon before now, they'd gone to lunch together, like they always had, since their workplaces were so near. She'd ordered a green salad, a small burger, and a cup of iced tea, while he had gotten a steak and fries with some tea. They chatted on and on about past experiences, laughed at the wandering, odd passersby, and then return to stuffing their faces (or, at least, he had been). Maybe they'd shared a kiss or two, him turning red all over and keeping it short because they were out in public, but she didn't seem to mind.

_Now, how did I get to her room, again?_

Oh, right. Dead tired, like always, he'd let himself into her house, since he had a key and her house was much closer to his apartment, and crashed on her couch. It wasn't even past six o'clock, yet, and so Winry hadn't been home. He probably slept for a good two hours before he heard the door open. He'd turned his face around facing the door, and he saw Winry, just staring at him like he'd died. She came rushing toward him, palm on his forehead, and he'd jerked away once he realized how close she had been. She'd voiced her concerns, of '_why the heck are you in my living room?_', and he'd muttered some incoherent response before waving her off and dozing back to sleep.

She'd shook him awake, maybe an hour later, for dinner. She'd asked him to call Alphonse, since she probably figured he'd neglected to.

He did.

Alphonse had been okay, saying he already had plans for the night anyway. Edward's brain had burst with smug curiosity, asking if it was a girl, someone he knew. He heard Alphonse pause a bit, and heard the phone being shuffled around. He had a laugh.

They'd eaten dinner at the dining table, a pot of stew and a plate of cabbage to quell their hunger. She hadn't restocked her fridge of beverages, so they'd drunken water to go with the meal.

Eating over with and dishes cleaned, they'd gone to the couch to just sit, cuddle (_cuddle?_), and, apparently, it was also the time for Winry to play with his hair. No that he'd minded, or anything.

It was well past ten in the evening when some one had looked up at the clock sitting above the fireplace. Winry had brought her arm up and above her head to stretch, and suppressed a yawn. Ed had yawned anyway, bringing the hand that wasn't holding Winry in place in his lap up to his mouth. Quiet tears sprung out of his eyes, and he wiped them away.

He'd wanted to go back to his place, but his eyes drooped, his legs were exhausted, and Winry seemed on the verge of collapsing. Winry had offered for him to stay the night, since he already had his uniform with him, and Alphonse would probably walk Zell if he wasn't there in the morning. He'd understand. She'd proposed he sleep in bed with her, since the couch wasn't the most comfortable thing in the world. And besides, '_I don't mind._'

He had rejected her offer at first, sputtering about and turning a shade of pink at her request. She'd adamantly refused a no, and he gave up trying to fight it. They taken turns in the bathroom to wash themselves, and Winry went to the bed first, burrowing under the warm blankets. When he'd gotten to her room, he'd swallowed harshly, and stepped in cautiously. He practically jumped when Winry told him to hurry it up and get into bed.

At first, he'd tried to keep his distance, finding a place at the far edge of the bed as possible so as to respect her space, but she'd crossed over and put her arms around his waist. His breath had hitched. He'd held his breath for a long time, and he would have forgotten how to breathe if not for Winry's hand smacking his head for being silly. He'd relaxed then, when she'd let go, and heard her roll over again. He'd felt better now, considering they'd already been laying in her bed for a good thirty minutes. Hesitantly, he went to her position, her back toward him, and slipped his hand under the covers, tracing Winry's hip, up to her waist, and back down again. He'd felt Winry stiffen, and he'd paused his actions, fearing the worst. But, she'd seemed to have calmed down, because he felt her hand grab his, still holding her waist, and bring it over her to rest in front. She'd made him scoot closer to her, and he wrapped his arm more tightly around her waist. He felt her back press up against his chest, her round bottom on his hips. His legs had gotten tangled in hers, and he hadn't a clue how, but then, with their limbs entwined and their bodies molded together, he'd fallen asleep easily.

And, he thought he'd heard a small '_love you_' uttered from her lips.

§

When they actually woke up, it was well past nine in the morning.

Winry sat up and stretched her arms and torso, while Ed just lay lying on the mattress, arms behind his head.

Winry looked down at him, brows creasing slightly, "Don't you have to be at work?"

Edward cringed upon hearing the word, but he replied, "Nah, I'll bet Mustang doesn't even care that I'm late by, like," he checked the clock, "ans hour and a half."

Winry nearly palmed her face, "Well, I'm late for opening my shop, and Cain is probably wondering what's taking me so long, so," she eyed his clothes for a second, "if you don't mind, I kind of, uhm… need to change."

Edward blinked, nodded, then got out of bed and grabbed his uniform along the way, shutting the door behind him. Winry hopped off of the mattress, slipping her feet into her slippers, and went to her dresser, grabbing an old, black sports bra with a strip of white in the middle, a light cardigan, and a pair of black shorts. She quickly stripped herself of her current attire – a too-large white t-shirt and another pair of white pajama shorts – and dressed herself again in the clothes she had taken out. Grabbing a pair of long socks out of one open drawer, she opened the door to her room and stepped out, finding the bathroom still in use.

But it wasn't long until that door opened and Edward stepped out, fresh and clean in his royal blues. She let her gaze linger for longer than necessary, starting from feet, up his finely toned legs, all the way to his chest, and up to his bewildered face, golden eyes seemingly shimmering in the morning light. She eventually snapped out of her trance, and scurried into her bathroom, excusing herself quietly.

_Ed just looks so _hot_ in his uniform._

Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she grabbed her cup and toothbrush, and proceeded with her morning routine.

"Hey, Win? I'm gonna go ahead first!"

Winry just about finished rinsing her mouth enough to respond, "Okay! I'll see you later then!"

"And uh, Winry?"

"Yes?"

"…I uh–uhm… Love you."

She smiled.

She quickly wiped her mouth dry, and turned around, whipping the door open, startling Ed, and flying into his arms, planting a kiss on his soft lips.

His eyes were wide when she pulled back, and she giggled slightly.

"I love you, too. Have a good day today, Ed!"

Edward's eyes softened and he smirked, leaning back in to give her another light kiss, letting her wrap her arms around his neck, his hands coming around to hug her waist.

"Yeah, you, too."

* * *

A/N: I thought this was cute. Let me know what you think! Thanks for reading!


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